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A SELECTION 



FROM 




KRUMMACHEITS PARABLES, 



TRANSLATED 

BY L. LERMONT, 

PROFESSOR OF THE GERMAN LANGUAGE, 
AUTHOR OE UPS AND DOWNS. 



PUBLISHED BY THE TRANLSATOR: 
148 ARCH STREET. 

1852. 



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PTztW 

c o py Z> 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by 
L. LERMONT, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in 
and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



Piloted by T. K. & P. G Collins. 



IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED 
IN NEW BEDFORD, MASS. 



In presenting this little volume to the pub- 
lic, the translator, by way of preface, cannot 
do better, than quote the words of a highly 
valued correspondent : " The charm of Krum- 
macher's parables is, that they address them- 
selves to the care-worn and tried heart of 
old age, as well as to the happy spirit of 
childhood." 



Contents. 



INTRODUCTORY PARABLE 7 

FIRST PARABLE. 
The Affectionate Brother 11 

SECOND PARABLE. 
The Favorite Flowers 17 

THIRD PARABLE. 
Poor Lazarus 22 

FOURTH PARABLE. 
The First Blush 25 

FIFTH PARABLE. 
Adam and the Cherub of Paradise 27 

SIXTH PARABLE. 
Fruits of Gratitude 29 

SEVENTH PARABLE. 
The Barren Tree 31 

EIGHTH PARABLE. 
Death and Sleep 33 

NINTH PARABLE. 
The Forget-me-not 36 

TENTH PARABLE. 
The Cuckoo , 41 

ELEVENTH PARABLE. 
TnE Young Philosopher 44 

TWELFTH PARABLE. 
The Virtue of Waiting Patiently 45 

THIRTEENTH PARABLE. 
The Blind Man 47 

FOURTEENTH PARABLE. 
Eve and the Rose Bush 48 

i* (.<-,) 



6 CONTENTS. 

FIFTEENTH PARABLE. 
The Rose 49 

SIXTEENTH PARABLE. 
Nathan tee Prophet 51 

SEVENTEENTH PARABLE. 
JEsop's Death 54 

EIGHTEENTH PARABLE. 
The Name and the Reality, 58 

NINETEENTH PARABLE. 
The Bitter Flower ..... c 60- 

TWENTIETH PARABLE. 
Satjl and Jonathan 62 

TWENTY-FIRST PARABLE. 
The Nightingale in a Cage 64 

TWENTY-SECOND PARABLE. 
Sea-Shells 66 

TWENTY-THIRD PARABLE. 
The Richest King in India 68 

TWENTY-FOURTH PARABLE. 
Unjust Punishment 72 

TWENTY-FIFTH PARABLE. 
The Invisible 73 

TWENTY-SIXTH PARABLE. 
The Temple at Memphis. 78 

TWENTY-SEVENTH PARABLE. 
Adam and the Cherub 80 

TWENTY-EIGHTH PARABLE. 
The Course of Sin 82 

TWENTY-NINTH PARABLE. 
Retaliation 83 

THIRTIETH PARABLE. 
The Bramin's Gift 85 

THIRTY-FIRST PARABLE. 
The Jewel 88 

THIRTY-SECOND PARABLE. 
The Grate 91 

THIRTY-THIRD PARABLE. 
The Course of the River 94 



Siitrnhtrtnrtj gambit. 

DEW-DROPS. 

Selia, the son of pious parents, dwelt on 
Mount Tabor in the Holy Land. He had 
often heard of guardian angels, who came 
down from heaven and hovered over little 
children to protect them from harm. There- 
fore, said he, in his heart : The flowers of the 
field also have a guardian angel who watches 
over them ; and he longed to see the angel's 
face ! 

Therefore, Selia went often to the moun- 
tain, to listen if he could hear, in the rustling 
of the leaves, the motion of the angel's wings. 
His large blue eyes were either turned towards 
the blue sky or rested thoughtfully on the 
blooming hill. Still the angel of the flowers 
did not appear. Then said the boy : The 



8 DEW-DROPS. 

angel tends the flowers by night and sprinkles 
the dew-drops over them before the light of 
the morning comes, and then he leaves them, ere 
he is perceived. Oh, how I should like to 
offer my thanks to the kind angel ! 

So saying, the boy ran and gathered some 
of the prettiest flowers of the valley, wove 
them into a crown, and, when evening came, 
he laid the flowers gently on the hillside and 
thought of the angel. 

Having done this, he returned home to his 
mother, and his heart was calm. When he 
w r ent to his bed, his mother said to him : 
Hast thou been among the flowers again, my 
son ? The boy replied : Yes, dear mother ! 
I have sought the most beautiful I could find 
— I wove them into a crown and placed it 
where the angel of the flowers can see it. 

At these words, his older brother laughed 
and said : Thou simpleton ! the angel who 
forms the flowers surely has enough of them 
and needs none of thine. 



DEW-DROPS. 9 

Then Selia was distressed and dejected and 
looked up in his mother's face. 

Do not grieve, my child, said the tender 
mother. The angel looks not only at the 
flowers^ but also at the heart, with which thou* 
hast formed them into a crown and placed it 
before him, and he will, no doubt, be pleased 
with it. 

Selia was comforted. He fell asleep and 
dreamed of the friendly angel and the flowers. 

Early the next morning, Selia went out to 
the field and returned home with a cheerful 
heart, exclaiming : Behold, mother, the angel 
was indeed pleased with my gift, for my crown 
was sparkling with pearly dew-drops ! 




THE AFFECTIONATE BROTHER. 

? HE lovely and delicate Theresa had 
been confined to a bed of sickness 
during the finest part of the Spring. 
When she grew better and was 
gaining strength,- she thought of the flowers, 
and asked whether they now bloomed as beau- 
tifully as they did in the preceding year ? 
She dearly loved flowers, but she was not able 
to go out and gather them. Little Harry, 
brother of Theresa, took a basket and whis- 
pered to his mother, u I will go into the coun- 
try and bring her the most beautiful flowers 
of the field !" This was the first time that he 
had left the house since his sister's illness, for 
as long as his beloved sister was ill in bed, he 
had been unwilling to leave her. The coun- 

(11) 



12 THE AFFECTIONATE BROTHER. 

try seemed to him now more beautiful than 
ever, and it awoke in him grateful and pious 
thoughts. 

With delight the boy ran -over the hills. 
Birds of various kinds were filling the air with 
their melodies ; the bees hummed, the butter- 
flies fluttered around him, and the loveliest 
flowers were blooming at his feet. He went 
on, singing and skipping from one little hill to 
another, and from one flower to another. His 
soul was serene as the blue sky above him, 
and his eyes sparkled like a pure fountain 
springing out of a rock. 

At length his basket was filled with the 
most beautiful flowers, and at the top lay a 
crown of field strawberries, strung like pearls 
on a wreath of grass. Smiling the happy boy 
looked on his full basket, and laid himself 
down on the soft moss beneath the shade of 
an oak. Here he silently gazed on the scen- 
ery, so beautiful in the glory of Spring, and on 
the thousand different flowers and listened to 



THE AFFECTIONATE BROTHER. 13 

the various songs of little birds that were fly- 
ing from tree to tree. 

But he had rejoiced and sported until wea- 
ry, and he fell asleep. The gentle boy slum- 
bered peacefully. In the meantime a storm 
gathered in the air ; dark and silent, the 
clouds rolled up; the lightning flashed, and 
the voice of thunder came nearer and louder. 
This awoke the sleeper. Not a sunbeam il- 
luminated the plain ; threatening clouds hung 
darkly over his head. Presently a tremen- 
dous clap of thunder fell upon his ear. The 
poor boy stood awe stricken by this sudden 
change in the aspect of nature. Heavy drops 
of rain now began to fall through the leaves 
of the oak. The frightened boy seized his 
basket and ran toward home. But the storm 
grew stronger and stronger ; the thunder 
rolled frightfully; the rain increased and 
streamed down from his locks over his shoul- 
ders. It was with difficulty that he proceeded 

on his way. Suddenly a strong blast of wind 

2 



14 THE AFFECTIONATE BROTHER. 

caught the basket in his little hand and scat- 
tered all his carefully collected flowers over 
the field. Then his countenance fell, and 
with angry displeasure he threw clown the 
empty basket at his feet. Filled with disap- 
pointment; weeping aloud and thoroughly 
wet, he reached the abode of his parents. 

The storm soon passed away. The sultry 
atmosphere had become pure and cool, a clear 
sky and a sweet calm reigned over hill and 
dale ; everything seemed renewed, and wore 
the appearance of youth, as if nature had just 
come fresh from the hands of its benevolent 
Creator ; and the husbandman looked up with 
grateful joy to the distant clouds which had 
brought such blessing and prosperity to his 
fields. 

Son of earth ! go into the fields and see 
with thine own eyes, and be convinced how 
far thou wrongest thy benevolent Father in 
heaven, by saying, that he sends his thunder 
as a manifestation of his anger ! Storms pu- 



THE AFFECTIONATE BROTHER. 15 

rify and sweeten the atmosphere ! Out of the 
dark cloud comes the blessing of heaven, and 
thus joy and grief alike are sent to ennoble 
man and improve him ! The beautiful and 
serene sky soon induced the frightened boy to 
return into the fields. Ashamed of his in- 
dignation, he went quietly back to look for his 
cast-away basket and fill it anew. The breath 
of the cool air, the fragrance of the fields, the 
leaves of the trees, the songs of the forest, all 
appeared now doubly beautiful after the re- 
freshing rain. 

The basket was still lying in the blackberry 
bush, where it had been caught and protected 
from injury. Gratefully did the boy look on 
the bush as he loosened the basket. Great 
was his joy and admiration, when he gazed 
around. The fields glittered like the starry 
heavens. The rain had brought out a thou- 
sand fresh flowers, a thousand new buds were 
opened, and the leaves were covered with 
pearly dew-drops. Harry lost no time in fill- 



16 THE AFFECTIONATE BROTHER. 

ing his basket with choicest blossoms of the 
field, and like a busy bee, he roved from 
flower to flower. 

The sun was now near going down, and the 
happy boy hastened home with his flowery 
treasure. How the lovely crown of the freshly 
gathered strawberries delighted his soul ! But 
his eyes beamed still more joyfully when he 
perceived the pleasure and gratitude his flow- 
ers had awakened in the heart of his gentle 
sister. 

But who would attempt to describe the hap- 
piness of the tender mother, when she wit- 
nessed the affection of her children ! 



THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. 17 



THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. 

Gustayus, Hermann, and Annie, the bloom- 
ing children of a man of large estate, walked 
out into the field on a fine spring day. The 
lark and a thousand other birds were singing, 
and the flowers unfolded themselves in the 
dew and in the mild beams of the morning 
sun. 

The children looked round, full of gladness, 
and sprang from one small hill to another 
and weaved crowns of flowers. They also cele- 
brated, in song, the beauty of the spring and 
the love of the heavenly Father, who clothes 
the earth with grass and flowers ; and they 
sang of flowers, from the rose which grows on 
the bush to the little violet which blooms in 
retirement. 

2* 



18 THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. 

So the spring of life and tlie spring of the 
year appeared in lovely union. 

Then said the children one to another, " Let 
us each select a little flower, which he loves 
most.' 9 

This proposition delighted them, and they 
sprang into the field to select the favorite 
flower, promising to meet again in the 
arbor. 

So the three children went their different 
ways, in concord, to collect the beautiful. A 
lovely flower-gathering ! 

Soon all three appeared again on their way 
to the arbor. Each one bore in the hand a 
full bunch of the selected favorite flowers. 
When they came in sight of each other, they 
held up the flowers above their heads and 
shouted aloud for joy. 

When they had reached the bower, they 
agreed that each one should tell the reason of 
his choice. 

Gustavus, the elder, had chosen the violet- 



THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. 19 

" See/' said he, " it blooms and sends forth its 
fragrance in modest stillness, amidst moss and 
grass, and its work is concealed like the soft 
approach and blessing of spring. Men honor 
and love it, and it is praised in beautiful songs ; 
and every one brings a bunch, when he returns 
from the field, and he calls the lovely violet 
the first-born of the spring, and the flower of 
modesty ; therefore I have selected it as my 
flower." So saying, he gave Hermann and An- 
nie some of his flowers, who received them 
with inward satisfaction; for these beautiful 
flowers were also a brother s gift. 

Now Hermann came forth with his bunch. 
It was the delicate lily, which grows under 
the cool shade of the grove, and lifts up its 
blooming bells like strings of pearls, white as 
the light of day. " I have selected this, as it 
is the emblem of innocence and of a pure 
heart, and speaks to me of Him who adorns 
the heaven with stars and the earth with 
flowers. Was not the lily of the field honored 



20 THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. 

above all other flowers, in giving testimony of 
the love of our Heavenly Father, in whom all 
things live and move? This is the reason 
why the lily is my favorite flower !" 

Thus spake Hermann, and offered his flowers 
to Gustavus and Annie, who received them 
with joy and respect. And thus was the little 
flower consecrated. 

Then came Annie, the kindly, lovely little 
girl, with her gathered flowers. It was the 
blue, tender forget-me-not. These flowers, 
said the amiable girl, I found near the brook ! 
They glitter like the bright stars in heaven 
and sport in the clear water on whose border 
they grow, and the little stream flows along 
more beautifully, as if weaving a wreath. 
Therefore is it the flower of love and tender- 
ness ; and I have selected it as my favorite, 
and I transfer it to my two dear little brothers. 
Thus saying she gave to each a kiss, which 
they returned very affectionately. Then the 



THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. 21 

guardian angel of the children smiled upon the 
amiable bond of innocence. 

When they had thus selected their favorite 
flowers, Annie said : Let us weave them into 
two wreaths and carry them to our parents. 
So they formed two beautiful crowns of flowers, 
and took them to their parents and told them 
the whole matter, how they came to choose 
these flowers. 

The parents rejoiced over the good children 
and said : A lovely crown ! love, innocence, 
and modesty combined ! see how one flower 
exalts and adorns another, and in their union 
they form the most beautiful crown of flowers ! 

But one thing is still wanting, answered the 
children, and with lively gratitude placed 
the crowns on the heads of their father and 
mother. 

The parents were deeply affected with joy. 
They embraced their children cordially and 
said : such a crown is more glorious than the 
crown of princes. 



22 POOR LAZARUS. 



POOR LAZARUS. 

Oke day, when poor Lazarus was lying at 
the gate of the rich man and the dogs were 
licking his wounds, another poor man, a day- 
laborer, by name Zadoc, chanced to pass by 
and saw Lazarus in his misery. Zadoc pitied 
him from his heart, and went to him and said : 
Can I do any thing for you ? It is true, I am 
also a poor man, like yourself, and I have a 
flock of children to bring up ; but I am free 
from sores ; therefore let me share the care of 
you with the dogs, w T ho alone seem to have 
compassion on you, that they may no longer 
put me to shame. 

While he thus spake a tear glittered in the 
friendly face of the poor man. He then 
reached Lazarus his hand and said, come with 



POOR LAZARUS. 23 

me to my hut ; there we will take care of you 
as well as we can, and when our table fails I 
will gather for you the crumbs from the rich 
man's table. 

Gladly will I accompany you to your house, 
said Lazarus, as he took hold of the proffered 
hand. God has chosen you to open heaven to 
me and sweeten the few last hours of my life. 
I need but little now, but I will not rob you 
of this blessing and God's reward. 

They went on together and entered a re- 
tired little hut with a straw roof. The wife 
of Zadoc bid him welcome and prepared a bed 
of leaves and moss in the little chamber ; they 
then led poor Lazarus in and laid him down 
on the bed. 

Hanna,the wife of Zadoc, brought a bowl of 
milk and gave it to the invalid to drink. But 
Lazarus said : Eeach me a drink of water, for 
I am thirsty and burning within. 

Then Hanna made haste and brought fresh 
water out of a well, and Zadoc fanned the 



24 POOR LAZARUS. 

cheeks of Lazarus with a green olive branch, 
and Lazarus fell into a deep slumber. The 
day was warm and about noon. Hanna 
and Zadoc drove off the flies from his face and 
kept him cool. Lazarus smiled in his sleep, 
and Zadoc and Hanna looked on him and said 
softly to each other : Oh ; that he might recover 
under our care ! 

Lazarus slept for some hours, but when 
evening approached, he said : How can I thank 
you, dear people ! never have I enjoyed a 
sweeter slumber than with you in your hut. 
I dreamed that I was borne up on angels' 
wings. And is it not so ? The good man, 
full of simplicity and love, is he not an angel 
of God on earth ? You have afforded me the 
most precious, sweetest hours of my life. My 
heart is calm and full of bliss ; I feel that the 
hour of my going home has come ; I begin to 
feel the foretaste of the heavenly life. 

Lazarus then reached his hand to his host 
and his wife Hanna and expired with a pleas- 



THE FIRST BLUSH. 25 

ant smile ; and the holy angels carried his 
soul to the abodes of the blest. Zadoc and 
Hanna wept over him and buried him in 
silence. 

And the spirit of the departed Lazarus be- 
came the guardian angel of Zadoc and Hanna ; 
and when the day came which called them 
from this earth, it floated about their death- 
bed, and a soft breeze cooled their faces and 
they heard a lovely voice : He that sheweth 
mercy will find mercy. 



"**A*/> -^ </^/*/**~« 



/nurtjj tynxahlt. 

THE FIRST BLUSH. 

The child Samuel served the Lord at Shiloh, 
before Eli the high priest, and was acceptable 
with God and men : for he served the Lord 
with a pure heart and was obedient and good. 

But the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, 

3 



26 THE FIRST BLUSH. 

were wicked boys : they loved not the ways of 
the Lord their God, and their sins were very 
great. 

One day they were standing under a tree, 
near their fathers house, and were using 
naughty words in the presence of Samuel. 
This was the first time that the child had ever 
heard unbecoming and bad words out of the 
mouth of any living being, and he blushed, 
and his face glowed like the red blush of even- 
ing when the sun has set. 

But the two wicked boys laughed at little 
Samuel and ridiculed him for it. At this 
Samuel's countenance changed and he wept. 
Then came Eli, who had witnessed it all, and 
said : " My son, why dost thou weep ?" and 
Samuel answered : " Thy sons, Hophni and 
Phineas, talked wickedly before me, and then 
my heart beat and a fiery glow, I know not 
how, came to my face, and they mocked me." 

Then Eli embraced the boy Samuel and 
pressing him to his heart, lifted up his 



ADAM AND THE CHERUB OF PARADISE. 27 

voice and said : u Oh, my son ! weep not and 
never mind their ridicule. Thou art the chosen 
of the Lord God ; but whilst I rejoice in thee, 
my soul is full of grief over my own children; 
for they have so corrupted themselves in their 
bloom, that they never can bring forth good 
fruit !" 

And Eli wept over his sons, until his eyes 
became dim, which increased his heart's sor- 
row. But Samuel walked before the Lord his 
God and gladdened the heart of Eli. 



«W///^.'^/7W. 



ADAM AND THE CHERUB OF PARADISE. 

When Abel lay in his blood and Adam 
stood by the slain and wept, the Cherub of 
Paradise approached the father of the human 
race and stood in silence before him. Then 
raised Adam his eyes and said : " Is this an 



28 ADAM AND THE CHERUB OF PARADISE. 

image of the race that will come after me ? 
And will human blood, shed by the hand of a 
brother, ever stain the earth again ?" 

The Cherub answered : " It is even so !" 

u Alas ! by what name, then, will the fright- 
ful act be called ?" asked Adam. 

With a tear in his eye, the angel replied : 
"War! Murder!" 

Adam shuddered. " Ah !" said he, " why 
must the noble and the righteous fall by the 
hand of the wicked V The Cherub was silent. 
But Adam proceeded in his complaints and 
said : " Where shall I find comfort on this 
blood-stained earth ?" 

The Cherub answered : " Look towards 
heaven !" and then he vanished. 

Adam stood there till after the going down 
of the sun — and when the stars were up, he 
stretched forth his arms and exclaimed : u 0, 
ye bright sentinels at the gate of heaven, 
wherefore do you walk your round so silently ? 
If a mortal can hear the sound of your voice, 



FRUITS OF GRATITUDE. 29 

0, tell me of the land which lies beyond, and 
of my beloved son Abel !" 

But a deep and melancholy stillness reigned 
all around. Adam threw himself upon his 
face and prayed. And he heard in his soul a 
gentle voice, saying : " Behold, Abel thy son 
liveth I" 

Comforted, Adam arose and went his way 
with a calm but sorrowful spirit. 



t\-^++r+r*~ 



FRUITS OF GRATITUDE. 

A rich young man had been for many years 
ill, at last he was restored to health. When 
he was able to walk out, he went into his gar- 
den and he felt as one new-born ; he was full 
of joy and praised his Creator with a loud 
voice. " 0, thou all-sufficient God !" said he, 

3* 



30 FRUITS OF GRATITUDE. 

with his uplifted-hands heaven-ward, " if man 
could recompense thee for thy mercies, how 
gladly would I give thee all I have." 

An old man who had listened to the young 
man's words, approached him, and said : " My 
son, every good gift comes from above — thither 
thou canst send nothing in return. Come, fol- 
low me, and thou shalt have sufficient oppor- 
tunity to bestow thy fruits of gratitude." 

The youth followed the pious old man, and 
they entered a gloomy hut, where there was 
much sorrow and misery ; for the father lay 
ill in bed, the mother sat near him weeping, 
and the children were crying for bread ! 

The young man who had never seen poverty 
but from afar, was terrified. But the old man 
said : " Behold, here is an altar where thou canst 
bestow thy offering !" The rich youth, in the 
goodness of his heart, gave liberally to the poor 
inmates and waited on the sick daily till he re- 
covered. The poor man blessed him and called 
him an angel sent by his heavenly Father. 



THE BARREN TREE. 



o 



1 



THE BARREN TREE. 

A countryman had a brother in the city, 
who was a gardener and owned an excellent 
orchard full of the choicest trees, so that his 
skill and his superior fruit were spoken of far 
and wide. Once the countryman visited his 
brother in the city and admired the trees, 
which stood beautifully in rows and grew up 
smooth and straight as wax candles. 

Then said the gardener to him : Behold my 
brother, I will give you the best tree in my 
nursery, that you and your children and grand- 
children may rejoice in it. Pie then called his 
servant and pointed out a tree which he wished 
him to dig up. His brother was glad and took 
the tree home to his farm. 

The next morning he was in great doubt as 
to where he should plant the tree. For he 



32 THE BARREN TREE. 

thought : If I plant it on a hill, the wind may 
blow upon it and shake off the precious fruit 
before it is ripe ; if I plant it here, near the 
road, travelers will see it, and the beautiful 
apples will entice them to rob me ; if I set it 
too near the door of my house, it will not be 
safe from my own children and domestics. At 
last he decided to plant it behind the barn 5 on 
the north side, and said to himself: Here 
greedy hands will scarcely expect it ; and he 
rejoiced in his prudence. But lo ! the tree 
bore no fruit the first year, nor the second 
year. He then sent to his brother to come 
out, and found fault with him, saying : You 
have deceived me and have given me a mis- 
erable, barren and unfruitful tree ! For behold, 
it is now the third year and yet it produces 
nothing but leaves. 

When the gardener saw the tree, he laughed 
and replied : It is no wonder ; you have set 
the tree where it is exposed to the cold wind, 
and enjoys neither light nor heat ! Its nature 



DEATH AND SLEEP. 33 



is generous and noble. But your selfishness 
and distrustful feelings have deprived it of its 
necessary elements, and how can you expect 
to reap the noble and delicious fruit. 



»^A^/^>/#AW« 



DEATH AND SLEEP. 

In brotherly embrace the angel of sleep and 
the angel of death walked through the earth. 
It was evening. They laid themselves down 
on a hill not far from the abodes of men. A 
melancholy stillness reigned all around, and 
the evening bell in the distant village had 
ceased to toll. Peacefully and silently, as 
their manner is, the two beneficent genii of 
mankind sat in confiding endearment, and 
night was already drawing near. 

Then the angel of sleep arose from his 



34 DEATH AND SLEEP. 

mossy couch and, with a gentle hand scattered 
the invisible seeds of slumber. The evening 
wind carried them away to the habitation of 
the weary peasant. And now sweet sleep 
came over the inhabitants of the rural cotta- 
ges, from the gray head, who goes on his staff, 
down to the infant in the cradle. The sick 
forgot his pain, the mourner his grief, and pov- 
erty its wants. All eyes were closed. 

After finishing his labor, the benevolent an- 
gel of sleep lay down again beside his brother. 
When the dawn of morning will appear, ex- 
claimed he in happy delight, men will praise 
me as their friend and benefactor ! 

0, what joy, to do good unseen and in se- 
cret ! How happy are we, the invisible ser- 
vants of the Great Spirit ! How delightful our 
peaceful quiet calling! Thus spake the 
friendly angel of sleep in joyful innocence. — 
The angel of death looked upon him in silent 
sorrowfulness, and a tear, such as the immor- 
tals weep, stood in his large dark eye. Alas ! 



DEATH AND SLEEP. 35 

said he, that I cannot, like you, congratulate 
myself on the joyful thanks of men. The 
whole earth calls me its enemy, and the dis- 
turber of their joys ! 

0, my brother, replied the angel of sleep, will 
not the good, when, at the end of time, they 
shall be called from their graves into life, also 
recognize in thee a friend and benefactor, and 
gratefully bless thee? are we not brethren 
and servants of one Father ? Whilst he thus 
spake, the eye of the other angel brightened 
up, and the fraternal genii embraced each 
other still more tenderly. 



36 THE FORGET-ME-NOT. 



THE FORGET-ME-NOT. 

A mother sat with her first-born daughter, 
beautiful, lovely, and blooming Elizabeth, on a 
hill that bounded the quiet vale in which they 
dwelt. At the foot of the hill flowed a clear 
brook, whose banks were covered with fresh 
verdure, flowers and waving reeds. Here the 
affectionate mother sat, absorbed in sweet 
thoughts of the past. Meanwhile, the little girl 
hopped down to the border of the brook, and 
plucked a bunch of forget-me-nots, and brought 
it to her mother with an affectionate smile. 
She then asked her mother, in her innocence : 
" Why is this flower called forget-me-not ?" 

" You know, my child," said the tender 
mother, " what the prayer forget-me-not means, 
and what it is intended to express. When you 



THE FORGET-ME-NOT. 37 

say it, then the language of your heart floats 
in the breath of your mouth, and the words 
are the sign of your feelings; and when you 
offer this flower to any one, with the same 
wish, then the language of your heart blooms 
in the sky blue flower. Do you not think its 
simple form is well adapted to this purpose ? 
Nor did it need fragrance, any more than 
pure feelings demand loud and many words." 

" When probably did this tender flower re- 
ceive its lovely name ?" asked Elizabeth. 

The mother replied : " My dear child, na- 
ture is as a mother to mankind. She holds 
out the beautiful everywhere to him who loves 
her, and in the beautiful she reaches him the 
good and true, when he seeks it and wishes to 
know it ; for man must first possess it in his 
heart before he can comprehend the image 
which nature presents to him. She only gives 
him the resemblance, the reality he must cul- 
tivate in himself." 

Then the mother drew out a miniature 

4 



38 THE FORGET-ME-NOT. 

painting, and asked Elizabeth whether she 
knew the likeness ? " Why should I not," re- 
plied the child ; u it is father ! ; how beau- 
tiful ! I see him smile ; I hear him speak." 
" I also/' said the mother, " see his smile, and 
hear his voice when I look at this, though he 
is now thousands of miles from us. But would 
this be the case, if he did not dwell in our 
hearts ? even if the picture were much more 
beautiful, would you then gaze on it with so 
much delight, and say : c It is my father V ' 

" When I was a girl, Elizabeth, and your 
father lived across the brook, he came over to 
my father's house, and we loved each other. 
When he left, I accompanied him to this rivu- 
let. Before we parted, he plucked a little 
flower, gave it to me, and said, with a soft low 
tone : c Beloved, Forget-me-not !' Ever since 
the simple flower always recalls to me the 
friendly word." 

Then Elizabeth looked at the flower and 
asked whether it had received its pretty name 



THE FORGET-ME-NOT. 39 

from that time. " No I" answered the moth- 
er ; " but in the same way it has received it, 
and the good and true remain everlastingly 
new and young. At that time I first felt the 
sense and signification of the name ; for that 
which is not apprehended with the heart is 
not understood. 

a I loved your father/' added the mother, 
" he was a noble young man ! So the flower 
became to me an emblem of my love, and of 
every love, and this it will always be to me !" 

" But how," inquired Elizabeth, " is the 
flower an emblem of love, my dear mother V 

" Because it grows and blooms in quiet 
modesty and friendly innocence. And therein 
does love also make itself manifest. In it 
there is no stormy nature nor passion. Alas ! 
my child, there is a false love, which is not 
worthy of the name. And see," continued the 
mother, " the flower grows and blooms near 
the clear rivulet, which flows through our vale. 
Thus, only in a pure, innocent heart does 



40 THE FORGET-ME-NOT. 

love dwell ; then, however, it embellishes and 
ennobles life, just as the flower does the pure 
mirror of the brook. Thus love exalts life ; 
and therefore it is so quiet and harmonious in 
our home, because love dwells there. 

" And now, my dear child, look at the beau- 
tiful color of this simple flower ! It is the 
color of heaven above. So is pure love a 
heavenly plant, springing from celestial seed 
and bearing celestial blossoms." 

Thus spake the mother ; and then, with a 
blissful smile, reached to her daughter one of 
the flowers, and said : " And you, too, Eliza- 
beth, my beloved child, forget me not !" 

Elizabeth leaned on her mother ; a tear of joy 
glittered in her large blue eye, and she said : 
" I have no need of the flower, my dear mother, 
nor of the symbol — I have yourself!" 

The mother answered, and said : " Then, 
remember thereby the teaching of the flower 
out of the mouth of your mother !" 



THE CUCKOO. 41 



€\t toil) fare hi*- 

THE CUCKOO. 

Old Conrad and his neighbor James, two 
industrious farmers, were standing together on 
a May morning, surveying their fields, and 
were conversing on various topics. Old Conrad 
had, in his younger days, visited many coun- 
tries and was a man of much experience. His 
neighbor James was very eager for knowledge, 
and asked him many questions about matters 
he wished to understand. 

While they were thus conversing, the 
cuckoo cried in his usual way, and Conrad 
and his neighbor listened with delight. Then 
said James : It is strange that this everlasting 
repetition, always the same song and nothing 
agreeable in the tone, should awake so much 
delight in the heart of man ! When he first 



42 



THE CUCKOO. 



begins the villagers ask one another : Have 
you not heard the cuckoo yet ? and the boys 
in the streets imitate his notes. Yes, even 
the house clock imitates him, and children's 
toys are made to repeat his screams ! So 
said James, and looked at his neighbor to see 
what he would reply to it. 

Old Conrad answered : His song is cer- 
tainly not very pleasing, but it can be easily 
accounted for, why his screams are listened to 
with so much pleasure. You see he sings only 
when the sun shines, and on warm and pleas- 
ant days, when the trees are green and in 
blossom, and the fields promise the blessing of 
a rich harvest. So is piping welcome to the 
merry, and the sayings of the rich, at full table 
are always praised. 

Old James smiled and said : But he is and 
remains still but a screamer, and has nothing 
lovely in himself. He never builds his own 
nest but lives by burdening other birds, on 
which he imposes his eggs and his young, whilst 



THE CUCKOO. 43 

he hops about the whole Summer from one 
tree to another without intermission. He is a 
lazy bird, and on that account I dislike him. 
But the bitter cold in winter and the want of 
provisions will teach him another lesson. 

Do not be concerned ! replied his neighbor. 
Do you not know what people say, that he is 
transformed during the Winter into a rapa- 
cious hawk ? 

Ah ! said old James, then he resembles the 
wicked Till. His parents let him grow up in 
idleness, and when the father died, he joined 
a band of robbers, and he ended his days in 
the same manner as the hawk which I nailed 
upon my barn door. 



44 THE YOUNG PHILOSOPHER. 



THE YOUNG PHILOSOPHER. 

One mornings when the wise Diogenes came 
forth from his tub, to behold the rising sun 
spreading its rays over the sea, he was surpri- 
sed to find another tub near his own. This 
tub was brought there during the night by a 
young man of great wealth, with the intention 
of becoming a disciple of the wonderful yet 
despised Diogenes. 

Well my son, said Diogenes, does thy soul 
hunger and thirst after wisdom ? 

With a smile of self-satisfaction the youth 
nodded assent. 

There is one thing more which thou must 
do, my son, said Diogenes ; go home, sell thy 
property and distribute the money amongst 
the poor ; thus shalt thou complete the victo- 



THE VIRTUE OF WAITING PATIENTLY. 45 

ry over thyself, so necessary to the attain- 
ment of thy wishes. 

Then the young man went his way, but he 
returned no more. 

Diogenes smiled and said : Simple men ! 
they think the tub is all that is required to 
make them wise. If men thus deceive them- 
selves, how can they be tru*e to each other ! 



THE VIRTUE OF WAITING PATIENTLY. 

Dear mother, said Fritz, give each of us a 
bed of flowers, which we may call our own ; 
one to me, one to Charles and one to Lizzie, 
and let each tend their own ! 

The affectionate mother gladly granted his 
request and gave to each of them a flower 
bed full of pinks. The children rejoiced 



46 THE VIRTUE OF WAITING PATIENTLY. 

beyond measure,, and said : When the flowers 
are in full bloom then shall we rejoice still 
more. For it was not yet the season for pinks. 

Little Fritz was very anxious that his pinks 
should be in blossom before the others, and 
was so impatient that he could scarcely 
wait for the blooming time. One morning he 
was delighted to see some yellow leaves peep- 
ing out of the green enclosure. But the flow- 
ers came too slowly for Fritz. So he thought 
to hasten them by separating the leaves. He 
then called out loudly : See, my pinks are in 
bloom ! Soon the heat of the sun caused 
them to droop, and by noon they were all 
faded. The impatient Fritz now sat down 
near his flower-bed and wept over his flowers. 

Silly child! said his mother; may you 
never again, by unwise haste, be the destroyer 
of your own joys, and may this disappoint- 
ment teach you the difficult and important 
virtue of waiting patiently for blessings, how- 
ever much desired. 



THE BLIND MAN. 47 



THE BLIND MAN. 

A blind man stood in the beams of the mild 
sun in a Spring morning. Its warmth anima- 
ted his frame and its splendor lighted up the 
old man's face. 0, thou incomprehensible foun- 
tain of light ! thou wonder of the Almighty 
hand which formed thee and leads thee on in 
thy glorious path ! Out of thee streams forth 
everlasting fulness; life, light and warmth. 
Thy power is never exhausted. How great 
must He be who has created thee ! thus spake 
the blind man. 

A farmer, who stood near him and had lis- 
tened to his words, was surprised and said : 
How canst thou admire and praise the light 
which thou canst not see ? 

The blind man answered : For that very 



48 EYE AND THE ROSE-BUSH. 

reason, friend, I appreciate it still more high- 
ly ! Ever since my eyes have become dark- 
ened and the splendor of the sun has been 
excluded from rue, light has taken its abode 
in my soul. I feel its presence and it shines 
in my heart. You, however, look on the 
King of day as on every other object which 
you see daily ; not with the eyes of your soul, 
but with the eyes of your body. 






vw^/^-«//^w< 



€\i /nurtnutji ^uritbU, 

EVE AND THE ROSE-BUSH. 

Eve, the mother of mortals, wandered one 
day in melancholy silence outside of the gar- 
den of Eden. Suddenly a rose-bush, full of 
blooming roses, caught her eye. Oh ! cried 
she with delight : Do I not behold even here 
flowers of paradise ? How your fragrance in- 



THE ROSE. 49 

vigorates my fainting heart ! I joyfully greet 
you, lovely emblems of innocence and joy. 
Thus spake Eve, and her eyes rested with 
pleasure on the beautiful roses. But soon a 
gentle wind moved the branches of the little 
rose-bush, and behold the leaves of the full- 
blown roses fell to the ground and soon with- 
ered. Then Eve sighed deeply and said : 
Alas, I understand you ! Ye also are chil- 
dren of death — meet emblems of earthly joys ! 



THE ROSE. 

What a pity, said a little boy to his father 
as they walked through the garden, that the 
rose, after blooming, does not produce fruit, 
and thus return a thank-offering in Summer, 
for the lovely season of its Spring life. Now 



50 THE ROSE. 

it is called the flower of innocence and joy, 
then it would be also the emblem of gratitude. 
The father answered : Does it not offer all 
its loveliness to beautify the Spring, and for 
the dew and light, which it receives from 
above, does it not fill the air with its delicate 
fragrance ? Thus like gratitude, bestowing a 
charm unseen, which enhances every other 
good. Created for the Spring, it dies with the 
Spring ; but its withered leaves retain a por- 
tion of its sweet fragrance ; so in the heart of 
innocence does gratitude abide, after the kind 
deed, which called it forth, is forgotten in 
other breasts. 



NATHAN THE PROPHET. 51 



€\i liitntttji $«**il£ 

NATHAN THE PROPHET. 

Nathan, a prophet and teacher at Salem, 
sat one day among his disciples, and the words 
of wisdom flowed like honey from his lips. 
Then said Gamaliel, one of his followers, 
Master, whence comes it, that we so gladly 
hearken to thy words and receive thy doctrines 
in our hearts ? 

The wise teacher answered : Does not my 
name, Nathan,* imply to give ? men are al- 
ways willing to receive, if the giver knows 
how to bestow. 

Then asked another of his disciples who sat 
at his feet : Wherefore doest thou teach in 
parables ? 

The Prophet replied : My son, when I be- 

* Nathan, in the Hebrew Language, signifies to give. 



52 NATHAN THE PROPHET. 

came a man, I longed to be a teacher and bear 
testimony to the truth. Then the spirit of 
the Lord came upon me ; I clothed myself in 
a rough hairy garment and went abroad 
among the people, denouncing the ways of sin 
in severe and harsh language. But men ei- 
ther fled before me, laid not my words to 
heart, or misinterpreted the meaning of my 
preaching. Then my spirit was grieved with- 
in me and I fled away by night to Mount 
Hermon, saying : since they will not receive 
the light, they may grope in darkness and be 
lost forever! Thus I wandered during the 
gloom of the night and my spirit was sad 
within me. 

But behold, the dawn came, aurora crim- 
soned the morning sky, and the early dew 
fell upon Mount Hermon, while the sweet 
fragrance of a thousand flowers filled the air. 
The morning air was soft and lovely, the mist 
floated over the top of the mountain and mois- 
tened the earth. Men walked abroad joyfully. 



NATHAN THE PROPHET. 53 

When day came down from heaven, and the 
sun went forth from the arms of aurora, and 
threw his beams upon the plants already man- 
tled with pearly dew-drops, I stood gazing on 
the sight before me, with feelings of deep emo- 
tion ; then the morning breeze sprang up, and 
in its rustling sound I heard the voice of the 
Lord speaking to me, saying : See Nathan, in 
this gentle manner heaven sends its most 
precious gift, the light of day, to mortals. 

As I came down from the mountain, the 
spirit of the Lord carried me under a pome- 
granate tree. It was beautiful and shady, and 
bore at the same time both blossoms and fruit. 
I stood under its shade, looked upon its blos- 
soms, and said : 0, how lovely and how beau- 
tiful ! It is like the soft breath of innocence 
on the blooming cheeks of the daughters of 
Israel ! I sought the fruit of the pomegranate 
tree, and I found it hidden beneath the shade 
of the leaves, and I heard the voice of the 
Lord out of the thick foliage, saying : Behold, 

5* 



54 ^SOP 9 S DEATH, 

Nathan, how nature, in simple blossoms* 
promises the precious fruit, and how when she 
has put it forth she conceals her hand under 
the shadow of the leaves. When I returned 
to Salem, continued the prophet, I put off my 
rough garb, washed my face, anointed my 
head, and preached truth in a cheerful man- 
ner and in parables. For truth is serious and 
has few friends, and therefore she likes to ap- 
pear in a pleasing and 'simple garb suited to 
human understanding, and thus she wins dis- 
ciples. 



i imttbnrtl; tfataklt. 

iESOP'S DEATH. 

iEsoP, the incomparable writer of the beau- 
tiful fables of animals and plants, was beaten 
by his cruel master and driven out of the city 



uESOP's DEATH. 55 



Into the wilderness. Unhappy man ! ex- 
claimed one of his fellow slaves, who was em- 
ployed in driving him away. 

Am I then more so than thou art ? asked 
iEsop. 

What joy can await thee in the desert ? 
said his astonished companion. 

The happy feeling of liberty ! replied iEsop. 

A few days after he was driven away, some 
of his acquaintances went out to seek for his 
body, in order to bury it ; doubting not that 
in despair, he would have put an end to his 
own life. They were, therefore, much surpri- 
sed to find him seated contentedly under a 
tree. They told him why they had come. 
But iEsop smiled, and related to them the fa- 
ble of the wood-chopper. 

Then said another : Nature has denied thee 
all that could make man happy — thy body is 
deformed — thy appearance hateful — thou art 
scoffed by every one — no one will have thee, 
even for a slave. Toll mo what recompense 



56 JESOP'S DEATH. 

do the gods give thee in the desert for these 
privations ? 

iEsop answered: They have given me a 
portion of their divine nature ! They have 
taught me the language of animals and plants, 
and they have granted me the power to make 
them speak. 

You probably refer to your wisdom, began 
another of the slaves. You seem to assert, that 
nature makes up on the one hand, what she 
fails to bestow on the other. If so, the fool 
must either flee from himself, or blame nature 
whenever he looks within ! 

A fool only looks from without ! w r as iEsop' s 
reply. From within, he receives as a recom- 
pense the delusive bloom of folly — self-conceit. 

Before departing they asked, if he desired 
to bury his wisdom in the wilderness ? 

By no means, answered iEsop ; I shall arise, 
and go where the preaching of truth is most 
needed ! 



.^ESOP'S DEATH. 57 

Where may that be ? they asked most ea- 
gerly. 

Where the greatest number of temples and 
priests are to be found. Thus said iEsop 
and went to Delphi. 

Before he had been many days there, he 
was, by the instigation of the priests, cast into 
a dark dungeon, as a blasphemer of the gods. 

But iEsop, to the great amazement of his 
jailor, remained cheerful even in his prison. 

When the keeper of the dungeon asked him, 
what made him so resigned, he replied : The 
goodness of my cause and my innocence. 

Soon after he was condemned to death as a 
dangerous and malignant blasphemer, and his 
enemies cast him down from a high rock. 



58 THE NAME AND THE REALITY. 



€\t ^igjjtnttiji $«t«kU. 

THE NAME AND THE REALITY. 

When Alexander had returned to Babylon, 
after his victorious career, he ordered that a 
priest from each nation and country he had 
subdued, should be sent to his court, in order 
to explain their mode of worship. 

When the deputies of the various churches 
had assembled, the king seated himself on his 
throne and said : By what name do you call 
that invisible Being, whom you serve ? 

The priest from India stepped forth and 
said : My nation revere Brama, which means 
Omnipotent ! The priest from Persia, said : 
We worship Ormus, which meaneth the foun- 
tain of all light ! The priest from Judea, said : 
Jehovah is our God, which meaneth he is, was, 
and will be ! Thus each priest gave a differ- 



THE NAME AND THE REALITY. 59 

ent name and attribute to his Father in 
heaven, according to the language of his 
country. 

At this the king became very angry and 
said : You have now but one King, Alexander, 
who rules over you ! Henceforth you shall 
have but one god- — Jupiter be his name ! 

When the priests heard these words they 
were all very sad and troubled at heart. 
How, said they, can our people change the 
name of Him they have worshipped from their 
childhood up ! This made the conqueror still 
more angry. 

Then stepped forth an old and venerable 
Bramin, who had accompanied Alexander to 
Babylon, bowed his head and said : will my 
lord, the King, permit me to speak to the as- 
sembly; then turning, he said, What name do 
you give to that orb which shines by day and 
illuminates your land ? 

Each priest gave to the star of day a different 
name according to the language of his country. 



60 THE BITTER FLOWER. 

Then said the old Bramin to the king : 
Should not the King of Day henceforth have 
but one name? 

These words convinced Alexander of his 
folly, and full of shame he said : I see it is not 
the name, nor symbol, nor yet the attribute 
that changes the reality. He then exhorted 
each one to be faithful to his charge, and sent 
them to their homes in peace 



*+++/++■$>++*+*+>+ 



THE BITTER FLOWER. 

One spring morning, a mother went with 
her little daughter to see the beautiful 
country. 

As they walked, the little girl was much 
delighted with the many flowers and plants 
which grew and bloomed along the way. But 



THE BITTER FLOWER. 61 

one flower pleased her most ; it was a small 
delicate blossom and of a beautiful color. 
Minna, that was the child's name, plucked 
this little flower, surveyed it with joy, kissed 
it, and smelled it. She could not praise it 
enough. 

After having done so for some time, she 
put the little flower in her mouth, in the 
hope that to eat it, would increase her pleasure. 

Minna ran immediately to her mother, 
crying, and exclaiming : Oh, dear mother, 
the flower was so beautiful and sweet-smelling, 
and I put it into my mouth ; but it is bitter, 
and it burns my tongue. Thus complained the 
little maiden and despised the pretty blossom. 

Ah, my dear child ! said the mother, why 
do you blame the flower ? Is it not enough 
that flowers bloom so beautifully and send 
forth such sweet fragrance ? They were not 
intended to be eaten. 



62 SAUL AND JONATHAN. 



SAUL AND JONATHAN. 

One day, it was the festival of Pentecost, 
Saul, the king of Israel, conversed familiarly 
with his son Jonathan. My son, said he, 
tell me why thou wilt not renounce David, 
the son of Jesse ? 

Jonathan replied : I cannot renounce my- 
self and my own soul, neither can I cease to 
love the son of Jesse. 

Then asked the king : What can fetter 
thee to this shepherd-boy of Bethlehem ? Is it 
his dark face, or his skill in music, or his 
great strength? There are many in Israel, 
with whom he is not to be compared, either in 
valour or wisdom ! 

Then answered Jonathan : Let not the 
king, my father, be angry. It is not his face 



JONATHAN AND SAUL. 63 

that I value, or his valor, or wisdom ; I know 
not wherefore I love him; but one thing I 
know, that he is to me as my own soul. 

But the king was angry and said : Dost 
thou not know that he turneth the kingdom 
from thee, and that he will be king of Israel? 

Then said Jonathan with a cheerful coun- 
tenance : Be it so. Is it not the same which 
of us two rule in Israel ? We have made a 
covenant before the Lord, and we shall never 
part. 

At hearing these words, Saul became en- 
raged in his spirit; and he seized a spear to 
slay his own son. For he knew not the 
power of love. But Jonathan turned and 
went out, and neither eat nor drank during 
the whole of the festival, for he thought on 
David's danger, and his father's wrath. 



64 THE NIGHTINGALE IN A CAGE. 



#|b $mtotij-fUat ^tw-klt 

THE NIGHTINGALE IN A CAGE. 

A countryman came, one day, to the 
splendid mansion of a rich man in the city. 
A bird was singing in a golden cage ; and 
when he went nearer, he saw that it was a 
nightingale. With a sad heart, he listened to 
the story of the little prisoner. 

One of the servants about the house asked 
him : Why he thus stood so sorrowfully be- 
fore the little singer ? 

Then said the countryman : I wonder 
how your master can listen to the mournful 
lay of this captive bird ! 

You silly old man, said one of the ser- 
vants, does the song of the nightingale 
appear sad in the woods and fields ? 

Quite the reverse, answered the country- 



THE NIGHTINGALE IN A CAGE. 65 

man. In the fields their notes gladden my 
heart with silent joy and admiration. 

Then said a servant, with a scornful smile : 
Does the nightingale in the field and forest 
sing differently from this in a cage ? 

Certainly, replied the countryman; the 
nightingales, among the green and blooming 
branches, proclaim the praises of renewed 
nature ; they sing under the blue open heaven 
the song of freedom, and the joyous carol of 
their love ! At these words, the servants 
began to laugh and treated the old man with 
contempt. The countryman returned to his 
farm and the healthful labor of the fields ; 
but he often thought on the melancholy song 
of the poor imprisoned bird. 



G* 



66 SEA-SHELLS. 



SEA-SHELLS. 

A father, when returning from the sea- 
coast, brought to his little boy some beautiful 
shells which he had gathered on the shore. 
The child's joy was indescribably great. He 
was delighted with the beautiful treasures of 
the deep. He placed the shells carefully in a 
little box and invited all his playmates to 
come and see what his father had brought 
him. All the boys in the village admired the 
shells and talked much of their beauty. 
Every morning, as soon as the child arose, he 
went to his shells to see what new beauty he 
could discover. He gave a name to each of 
them. For the love and joy of childish sim- 
plicity are rich in sweet and touching inven- 
tions, 



SEA-SHELLS. 67 

Some time after, the father thought to in- 
crease the pleasure of his child, by taking him 
to the sea-side, that he might select such 
shells as his fancy might lead him to admire 
most. 

When they reached the shore, it was just 
low tide. The boy stood amazed, and gazed 
with surprise at the many fine shells which 
were lying about him in all directions. He 
began to gather some with great delight ; but 
soon he saw others which he admired still 
more; so he threw away those he had col- 
lected and picked up others. Thus he went 
on changing, till at last growing tired he 
threw all away and went home empty ; soon 
he parted with those which his father had 
given him, as objects of no value, for they 
gave him no more pleasure. Then said his 
father : I have done unwisely. My folly has 
robbed the child of his innocent enjoyment. 



68 THE RICHEST KING IN INDIA. 



THE RICHEST KING IN INDIA. 

Dushmante was the richest king in India. 
He possessed many castles, horses, chariots 
and slaves. But he became proud and 
haughty in his riches. He closed his heart 
to the labouring ' classes in his dominions. 
None but princes and nobles were admitted 
to his presence. 

When the teacher of his youth, an old 
Bramin priest, heard this, he left his solitude, 
sprinkled ashes on his head and placed him- 
self at the entrance of the royal palace. 

When the king saw him, he commanded 
the old man to approach. Why, said he, 
dost thou come dressed in the emblems of 
the deepest sorrow, and why hast thou put 
ashes on thy gray hairs ? The Bramin an- 



THE RICHEST KING IN INDIA. 69 

swered: When I left thee, thou wast the 
richest king in India — richer than any who 
ever sat on this throne before thee ! For 
Brama in his love had blessed thee abun- 
dantly, and my heart rejoiced. But now I , 
hear that the deepest poverty has overtaken 
thee, and thy former greatness has departed. 

The king listened to the words of his old 
teacher with surprise. What fool, said he 
at last, has put such a falsehood into thy 
head ? Behold my palace, the gardens and 
pleasure-grounds which surround it, the num- 
ber of slaves who attend to my wishes ! — 
Dost thou see the least indication of poverty ? 

The old Bramin replied : All this is only 
delusion, which would gladly blind the eyes 
of the wise. Th^ ruler of India has sunk 
from abundance into poverty ! 

Tell me, old man, said the king, who is 
be, whose words arc more to be trusted than 
thine own eyes ? 

Then the old priest lifted up his voice and 



70 THE RICHEST KING IN INDIA. 

said : The gun, the emblem of truth under 
the throne of Brarna, the clouds over my 
head, the fruit-tree before my dwelling-place, 
proclaim and testify to me thy poverty. 

The king was silent, but the old sage pro- 
ceeded : The beams of the sun fall on every 
blade of grass, on my hut as well as on thy 
palace — they are reflected in the small dew- 
drop, as well as in the vast ocean. The cloud, 
when it is full, rolls over hill and valley, re- 
freshing with its showers the thirsty field and 
the barren mountain. The laden fruit-tree 
bends its branches toward the beholder. Thus 
all things in nature testify that Brama has 
blest them with fulness and riches. But thou 
art like a rock, whose fountain has become 
dry. 

If this be not enough to convince thee of 
thy poverty, ask the tears of thy people, and 
then boast of thy riches in the presence of 
the Great Spirit and his creation : Thus spoke 
the old Bramin, and returned to his dwelling- 



THE RICHEST KING IN INDIA. 71 

place, far away from man. But the king 
took the words of the wise man to heart, and 
again became the benefactor of his people. 

Some time after, the king presented himself 
before the dwelling-place of the old Bramin, 
and said : I may now look again upon the 
rays of the sun and the heavy-laden branches 
of the fruit-trees, but one thing I lack yet. 

And what is that? interrupted the old 
man. 

I long to bring the gratitude of my heart 
before the man, who has taught me, that the 
joyful face of the people is the true riches of 
princes and rulers. I had indeed become 
poor, but thou hast once more made me rich. 

Thus spake the prince. With tears of joy, 
the old man embraced and blessed him. 



72 UNJUST PUNISHMENT. 



t €mnlq-hMl§ $ ax Kbit. 

UNJUST PUNISHMENT. 

A boy had charge of a cow, which was 
grazing in a meadow, adjoining a beautiful 
garden. As the boy looked around him, he 
perceived in the garden a cherry tree, full of 
fine ripe cherries glittering in the sun. The 
temptation could not be resisted. He left the 
cow to take care of herself and climbed the 
tree. 

The cow, losing sight of her keeper, and at- 
tracted by the charms of the garden, broke 
into it, and there demolished fruit and flowers 
to her heart's content. When the boy saw 
the mischief, he was angry and, springing 
from the tree, ran to the cow and beat her 
without mercy. 

His father, who had seen all from afar, ap- 



THE INVISIBLE. 73 

proached the boy and in a severe tone, said : 
Which of you two deserves the beating — the 
cow, which does not know right from wrong, 
or thou, the image of thy Creator, who art 
gifted with reason and understanding ? Hast 
thou not followed the desires of thy heart, 
and shalt thou chastise the cow for following 
hers also ? It is thou who hast failed in thy 
duty, and who then deserves the punishment ? 
The boy felt the truth of his father's words. 
He was ashamed and blushed deeply. 



f+*+S++<&<++**+~* 



THE INVISIBLE. 

About the time when Salmanasar had 
taken the land of Judea and dispersed the 
Israelites all over the world, as Abia wan- 
dered far away from the holy land, he came 

7 



74 THE INVISIBLE. 

into a fertile valley inhabited by a nation 
much given to superstition and idolatry. 
They were quarrelling among themselves 
about the governorship ; but when they saw 
Abia, they agreed to take him for their king. 

When Abia saw their idolatrous worship, 
he was sad and grieved at heart, for he loved 
the Lord Jehovah, and was jealous for his 
honor. 

Then came the voice of the Lord to Abia 
and said : Do I not permit the sun to shine 
on them by day and the stars by night ? and 
thinkest thou, that I could not destroy their 
idols ? yet I suffer them to exist — Do thou 
likewise ! 

So Abia was contented and reigned wisely. 
For he thought, perhaps, his son after him 
might succeed in bringing them to the know- 
ledge of the living and true God. When the 
hour of his death arrived, he said to his peo- 
ple, as they stood around him : Behold, I am 



THE INVISIBLE. 75 

going the way of all flesh, and my son will 
be your king! 

Then said the people : We do not know thy 
son, for we have never yet seen him ! 

Abia replied : You will know him by his 
justice, goodness and wisdom. Follow his 
counsels and it will be well with you. 

The people promised ; and when Abia was 
dead, they obeyed the orders which proceeded 
daily from the gates of the palace, but the 
face of their new king remained unknown to 
them. Nevertheless, his wisdom and the 
equity of his government were diffused like 
the beams of the sun over all the inhabitants 
of his dominion ; and wherever there was 
need the aid of the king was at hand. The 
people wondered and said : Our king lives in 
the retirement of his court, no one knows his 
face, yet he sees us and our wants, and cares 
for us as a father for his children. 

In time the people became restless and 
longinor to see the face of their kind ruler, 



76 THE INVISIBLE. 

said : We have our gods ever before our eyes, 
and we can touch them with our hands ; why 
should we not see the face of our king and 
ruler ? Some made images according to their 
own imaginations, and each said of the image 
that he made : This is he ! He must resemble 
this ! 

At length their desire became very great, 
so the people assembled at the gates of the 
court, and with one accord, demanded to see 
the face of the king ! 

The lofty portals opened, the king stepped 
forth, in a simple garb, and said to the 
people : Behold your king ! Then the people 
lifted up their voice and shouted : Long 
live our king ! 

But soon they recognized his face and said : 
Have we not seen him in the midst of us and 
looked upon him as a servant of the court ? 
and there was a great murmur among the 
people. Then the king beckoned, and as soon 
as silence prevailed he opened his mouth and 



THE INVISIBLE. 77 

spake : Now you see me, a man like your- 
selves. You see these hands and feet, these 
eyes and lips, mortal and corruptible ! But 
that which has blessed you and made you 
happy — wisdom, justice and goodness — is im- 
mortal. That which is within me, is not mine, 
but belongs to Him who is invisible, without 
form or body. Judge yourselves, what my 
earthly nature is. The visible cannot see the 
invisible ! Thus spake the son of Abia. 

The people returned to their homes, and 
destroyed the images of him, whose face they 
knew. The king's words took deep root in 
their hearts, and soon they destroyed their 
idols and believed in the Invisible God. 



7* 



78 THE TEMPLE AT MEMPHIS. 



THE TEMPLE AT MEMPHIS. 

When Pythagoras, the sage of Samos, 
visited Egypt, for the purpose of acquiring 
wisdom from the sacred source of antiquity, 
he was conducted by the priests into the 
temple at Memphis. In solemn grandeur, like 
a lofty mountain, the wonderful structure 
rose heavenward. 

How was it possible for man ever to rear 
such a structure? exclaimed the amazed 
Greek. 

United power, replied the priest, can ac- 
complish much, if guided by one controlling 
spirit. 

The strong doors of the temple unfolded 
like the gates of the kingdom of darkness. 

They entered and stood in silence be- 



THE TEMPLE AT MEMPHIS. 79 

tween the lofty pillars — the wind rushed 
through the immense halls and sounded like 
the voices of many spirits. 

A shudder came over the young philoso- 
pher. He trembled and leaned against a 
pillar and wept. A priest approached him. 
and asked : Why dost thou weep ? 

Pythagoras replied : Do I not feel myself 
here in the solemn presence of a Being, whose 
name I dare not utter ! 

Then said the priest : Thy humility be- 
comes thee well. It will lead thee on to the 
Invisible Spirit, to whom this edifice was 
consecrated. But leave this awful mass of 
stones now, and return to mankind, in whose 
hearts this temple existed before it was placed 
on this rock. 



80 ADAM AND THE CHERUB. 



ADAM AND THE CHERUB. 

Adam tilled the ground, and a garden 
full of trees and plants rewarded his care. 
The ears of corn waved in the splendor of 
the evening sun; the trees in his garden were 
filled with blossoms and fruit. The father of 
the human race, with his wife and children, 
rested on a hill and viewed the glory of the 
setting sun and the beauty of the earth. 

The cherub, the watcher of Eden, ap- 
proached them with a friendly aspect. The 
flaming sword was not in his hand. 

He greeted them and said : Behold, no 
longer does the earth bring forth her increase 
without your labor ; with the sweat of your 
brow you must gain your bread. But after 
the toil is over, you enjoy the fruits of your 



ADAM AND THE CHERUB. 81 

labor, and the sight of your fields gives you 
delight and pleasure. Jehovah is merciful ! 
He has given you the means to make for 
yourselves an Eden. 

Truly, said Adam, His goodness is great, 
even when he chastises. Gladly will we work, 
and eat the bread of our own labor. But 
formerly, Jehovah, the Lord, was nearer to 
us and blessed us and suffered the light of 
his countenance to shine upon us. Is there 
anything to supply that loss ? 

Prayer ! answered the cherub. Through 
labor he gives you earthly joys — through 
prayer he will bestow heavenly blessings. 

Then Adam and his wife and children 
lifted up their eyes toward heaven and 
breathed a prayer of thanksgiving unto the 
Lord Jehovah. Then their eyes grew brighter 
and their faces shone and they said : The 
Lord is good and his mercy endureth for ever. 



82 THE COURSE OF SIN. 



THE COURSE OF SIN. 

A father had a son of a mischievous dis- 
position, whom he indulged in every whim 
and desire of his heart. His wrong acts 
he permitted to go unpunished, and even 
laughed when he saw him throw pebbles 
and other missiles on those who passed his 
window. 

Once he aimed at an old man. The vene- 
rable man, looking up at the window, saw the 
father and the boy laughing. Correct your 
child, he said, while young or you may yet 
have reason to weep over his folly. 

But the father, heeding not his counsel, 
suffered his son to act as he pleased. As 
the lad grew up his insulting sports increased. 



RETALIATION. 83 

Then the father tried to check him, but he 
mocked the old man and laughed at him. 

The bones of the lad are now bleaching on 
the gallows, before the face of the father ; but 
tears have extinguished the light of his eyes 
and he sees them not. 



v\A*/>-^- >/*s/vsr~ 



RETALIATION. 

A queen in the East, having been deceived 
by her jeweller, came in great wrath to her 
husband and said : Show thyself worthy to be 
a judge ; punish the wretch who dared to de- 
ceive the wife of his king. 

But the king replied : How can right flow 
from anger? Is not a judge the representa- 
tive of the Most High ? 

Does not God, also, show his anger in the 
voice of thunder? asked the enraged queen. 



84 RETALIATION. 

Not in the thunder, replied the king. He is 
kind even in the storm. Alas! man loves to 
clothe the Eternal with human infirmities. 

But the queen was not satisfied and said : 
God hates and punishes the wicked and gives 
not the sword to kings in vain. I only wish 
that the criminal should receive his desert ; 
let him be cast into the lion's den and do battle 
with the lion. 

Then said the king : Let it be so, to-morrow 
at the tenth hour. 

The next day, at the tenth hour, the drums 
and timbrels proclaimed the cruel sight ; the 
queen went forth with many ladies of her 
court, to be present at the criminal's death. 

The herald opened the lists — the poor man 
stood trembling, and the drums and timbrels 
sounded even louder than before. But behold, 
there came out, instead of the lion, a white, 
gentle lamb, and laid itself at the feet of 
tKe trembling man, and looked up at his face 
with confidence. The drums became silent 



the bramin's gift. 85 

and the sweet sounds of harps and flutes were 
heard. Then the queen looked at her husband 
and blushed. But the king said : I can see 
by the blush on thy face, that I have exercised 
the right of retaliation. He who has deceived 
thee has again been deceived, while on thee 
will be bestowed a noble pleasure instead of 
an ignoble revenge ! 

The drums and timbrels announced the end 
of the game, and the people shouted : Long 
live our king and queen. 



"j****^* 



€Ijb ^jjirttBtjj %MMi, 

THE BRAMIN'S GIFT.* 

Sakontala, the most lovely and most be- 
loved queen, that ever adorned the throne 

* This parable was dedicated to Louisa, queen of Prussia, 
in 1807. 

8 



86 the bramin's gift. 

of India, the affectionate wife of the noble 
Wikrama, was celebrating the joyful anniver- 
sary of her birth. Joy echoed in huts and 
palaces throughout the land and met with 
a response in every heart. For the counte- 
nance of the queen was beautiful and serene, 
and the glance of her eye was mild as the set- 
ting rays of the evening sun sending re- 
freshing and cooling dew over hills and val- 
leys. Such was the countenance of Sakon- 
tala. Therefore the inhabitants of India 
looked up to their incomparable queen with 
love and gratitude. 

As tokens of their reverence, many brought 
her costly gifts of gold, of silver, of precious 
jewels, of flowers ; but some asked for her a 
blessing from Brama. 

Amongst the number who thronged around 
the palace to present gifts to her, there came a 
Bramin, bringing in his hands a small basket 
made of rushes and covered over with moss. 

Then said some of the servants about the 



the bramin's gift. 87 

court : Will the Bramin approach the splen- 
dor of the throne, with his little basket, with 
its mossy cover, woven of rushes ? But the 
old man approached affectionately the throne 
and placed the little basket at the feet of Sa- 
kontala, and said : Behold, thou friendly 
queen and mother of thy people, this small 
basket of rushes and the tender moss. These 
simple flowers came from the farthest border 
of thy kingdom, where thy foot wandered 
when thou wast still in the spring of life. 
Thus spake the Bramin and placed the little 
basket at the feet of Sakontala. 

Then the queen bent her face and looked 
on the basket and on the flowers which filled 
it, and she smiled graciously on the blossoms 
of the valley of her youth. The Bramin re- 
turned to his lonely valley, and all around 
appeared more beautiful to him, for he had 
seen the smiling face of Sakontala. 



88 THE JEWEL. 



THE JEWEL.* 

Sakontala, the most lovely and most be- 
loved of all the queens of India, celebrated 
the day of her birth with tears and silent 
prayer to Brama. For a fearful war had laid 
waste the whole land, and the ruler of India, 
her beloved husband, was far away in the whir 
of battle. But her sorrow was rendered still 
greater by the thought that many of the most 
faithful of the land had fallen in war, 
whilst many whom the king had, in time of 
prosperity, crowned with honor and riches, had 
become rebellious, and their ungrateful and 
cowardly hearts had been revealed in time of 
danger. Therefore wept Sakontala in silence, 
and her birth-day was to her a day of sorrow. 

* Dedicated to Louisa, queen of Prussia, in 1807. 



THE JEWEL. 89 

Then came one of the waiting ladies into 
the room where the queen was, and said : Be- 
hold, the Bramin who once brought thee the 
flowers of the valley of thy youth, is at the 
door. 

But Sakontala sighed, and said : How can 
flowers rejoice my torn heart, or be an orna- 
ment to my pale cheeks ? Nevertheless, bring 
him hither^ I will see him. 

The old Bramin approached and said: 
Behold, noble queen, mother of thy people, 
thy sorrow has not estranged from thee the 
hearts of the inhabitants of the valley, where 
thy feet wandered when yet the spring time 
of thy life smiled on thee. The changes of 
fickle minded fortune do not loosen the bands 
of true love; they bind them closer. But 
I do not bring thee flowers at this time ; 
they have been trodden down in our valley, 
but more beautiful will they bloom, when 
Brama, after the storm of war, sends sun- 
shine and peace. I bring thee the most 

8* 



90 THE JEWEL. 

costly gift which our valley produces, a 
jewel, bright as India can produce. 

The sorrowful queen looked at him and 
sighed. 

But he continued : Flowers I brought thee, 
when the youthful lustre of unclouded joy 
still rested on thy face. But Brama has sent 
thee sorrow ; I see that silent grief has 
bleached thy cheeks ; I knew that thou wouldst 
greet thy birth-day in tears and sorrow. They 
are to beautiful souls like the dew of heaven, 
which perfect the blossom. Thus Brama 
sanctifies his children. 

So spake the old Bramin, and, with friendly 
respect, placed the little casket at the feet 
of Sakontala, 

Then the queen looked on the precious 
jewel which filled the casket with its bright- 
ness, and tears rolled down her pale cheeks. 

Silently and sadly the Bramin returned to 
his lonely valley ; for he had seen the tears 
of Sakontala, 



THE GRAVE. 91 



THE GRAVE.* 

Full of sadness the Bramin wandered in 
his lonely valley and thought on the much 
tried queen. For a fearful war had again 
commenced. The destroyer with his wild 
hordes broke loose from the West and ravaged 
the land lying toward the east. Many sighed 
deeply on account of the oppressor. Then 
prayed the old man, day and night to Brania, 
for Wikrama the Just and for Sakontala his 
affectionate queen. But his prater remained 
unanswered, and the noise of battle moved on 
like a furious stream, even unto the quiet 
vale of the old Bramin until the land became 
a waste. Then fled the old man into the 
mountains^ and dwelt amongst the rocks, ana 

* Dedicated to Louisa, queen of Prussia, in 1814. 



92 THE GRAVE. 

shunned the sight of mankind. His soul 
was full of sorrow and he longed to die. But 
his wish was not granted and he lived on in 
his solitude for many years. Suddenly there 
arose the joyful sound of songs of peace, with 
cymbals and drums. 

The old man bent his face to the ground 
and worshipped. When he arose, he said : 
Let me not delay. I must go and see the 
victory of the righteous, and the face of 
Sakontala before I die. 

He then filled his little basket with the 
most beantiful flowers of the valley, and 
covered it with the young twigs of the olive 
and palm, and with fragrant branches of the 
tender myrtle. He turned hastily toward the 
royal residence and moved silently among 
the rejoicing multitude. Arrived at the gate 
of the palace, the countenance of the old 
man became cheerful and he said to one of 
the king's servants : Lead me to the queen, 
that I may bring her my offering. 



THE GRAVE. 93 

As he said these words, the servants looked 
at him in silence and wept. But the Bramin 
said : Why weep you, and wherefore do you 
look so sad ? 

Then the servants answered : Art thou a 
stranger on earth, that thou alone dost 
not know what has happened? — And they 
led him to the grave of Sakontala, and 
said : Her heart is broken ! — but they could 
say no more for weeping. 

Then the face of the old man was trans- 
formed and his eye glittered like that of a 
youth; and he lifted his head towards heaven 
and said : Do I not see the throne of Br am a, 
and the lustre of the everlasting fountain of 
light ; with Sakontala resting at his feet, and 
looking down from the clouds, as the pure sa- 
crifice and priestess of her beloved father- 
land ? Glorified one — even now I consecrate 
to thee, these flowers of earth. So saying, he 
placed the flowers on the grave and bent his 
head over it. 



94 THE COURSE OF THE RIVER. 

Then was heard a gentle rustling; and 
the soul of the old man fled to the abode of 
peace. 



~+**++++>^4 



THE COURSE OF THE RIVER. 

Follow the course of the river, said a 
teacher to his disciples. See how powerfully 
and silently it flows through the valley. It 
nourishes the roots of the trees and of every 
green herb in its course and refreshes the 
flowers and plants with its cooling breath. 

Yonder it flows through a barren and fruit- 
less soil ; there the beneficent river can do no 
good. Nevertheless, the water retains its 
clearness, and the blue sky is reflected in the 
mirror of its waves. 

Behold that wild boar ! he comes to cool 
his burning skin. Very muddy he makes the 



THE COURSE OF THE RIVER. 95 

water, but it will soon settle and run on as 
pure as ever. 

Now comes a thirsty traveler. How grate- 
fully he drinks of the cool water and with it 
refreshes his heated brow. 

Where has this friendly river its beginning? 
Look up ! Do you see those lofty mountains 
and that rocky cavern ? There, in the deep 
breast of the earth, is the hidden fountain of 
the river's source. But whence comes that 
exhaustless fountain ? 

Behold the mountain tops tower heaven- 
ward and are surrounded by the dewy clouds. 
Where does the beneficent river end ? Larger 
and larger it rolls onward, till it reaches the 
arms of the ocean, and from thence returns to 
the clouds. 

Thus spake the teacher ; and his disciples 
understood the emblems of God's love on 
earth ! 



IBA P ?9 



